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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — to visit
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — a division
  8. rash — hasty
  9. band — a music group
  10. land — to come down
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rash — a series
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. band — a ring
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pass — a permit
  20. land — a country
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. land — ground
  24. hide — animal skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com